Hong Kong’s government has, for the first time, moved to ban a political party, as the Beijing-driven political crackdown in the territory widens. On 17 July, the Security Bureau served notice it will use the Societies Ordinance – a relic of British colonial rule – to ban the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party (HKNP).

For the 16th year running, tens of thousands of Hong Kong people turned out on Sunday, July 1, for the annual ‘7.1’ anti-government demonstration. The main slogan of the day was “End one-party dictatorship!” – a slogan the dictatorship is trying to ban.

‘Long Hair’, Leung Kwok-hung, has long been a thorn in the side of Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing establishment. Since the authoritarian offensive began in earnest in 2016, ‘Long Hair’ and his League of Social Democrats (LSD) have been regarded as “public enemy number one” by the government.

The ‘Stop Repression in Hong Kong’ campaign, which is supported by the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI), is planning a day of worldwide protests on Friday 4 May. Readers around the world are urged to participate in the protests against increasing political repression in Hong Kong and China.